Espionage into my kitchen

Tag Archives: Fruit

I know it’s September and technically strawberry season is over, but my local grocery stores have been stocking the juiciest and most ripe berries I’ve seen! They’re so ripe that they ooze ruby-red juices in the containers themselves! Berries like that must be revered, so I did what any sane person does- I stocked up 😉

We’ve been munching on them as is, but along with a host of bakes I’d like to try, I blended some up into delicious homemade fresh strawberry milk! The recipe is via Smitten Kitchen, and although the addition of buttermilk sounds strange, it just works. The milk is amazing consumed right away, and tastes like the bottled red stuff (except totally natural!), and once you let it sit overnight, it almost takes on a lassi- flavor! So good!

Fresh Strawberry Milk

Yield: 4 – 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, hulled and diced

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups milk

1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine strawberries and sugar. Allow the strawberries to macerate and accumulate their juices for at least one hour. Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) and blitz until completely smooth.

Continuing on the beverage train, today I’m sharing a recipe the was inspired by our last trip to Toronto, Avocado Banana Shake. It’s healthy, filling, cooling, and perfect for either Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) or Iftar (meal at sunset).

This literally takes a few minutes to throw together. Dump everything in a blender and blitz away!

Avocado Banana Shake

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

6 tablespoons sugar

2 bananas, peeled and diced

½ avocado, peeled and pitted

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Ramadan Kareem!

The holy month of Ramadan has graced us once again, and I pray that our fasts and prayers are accepted, and we leave the month renewed in faith and spirituality!

I had originally planned to post a recipe for every day of the month, but life got the best of me and I wasn’t able to prepare 30 days worth of recipes for the blog. I will however be posting family favorites regularly throughout the month, and I hope that you are able to take some inspiration from them 🙂

Recently I stopped by to pick up a few essential items from a local Indian grocer, and I stumbled upon freshly arrived mangoes! Now if you’re desi (person of South Asian descent), I’m sure you can imagine my excitement. If you’re not desi, let me explain: we live for mangoes. It’s in our DNA. The love for them courses through our blood.

We went through most of them as is, but I got creative with a few. Some were blitzed into milkshakes, and a few were chopped up and tossed into this delicious Mango Chickpea Salad (recipe from Green Evi). It’s amazing on its own, and would also pair well with a grilled protein as a main entrée.

How is the weather in your parts? Here in Ohio, it has been unseasonably warm! As I speak, there is not a single fleck of snow to be seen! This time last year we were buried deep in snow and freezing our tushies off in subzero temperatures. I can’t be happier (cannot stand the cold!) 🙂

So anyway, about this drink- I love hosting dinners at our home, and I love to serve nontraditional foods at these get-togethers. I first tried my hand at this (recipe found at Closet Cooking) delicious Blueberry Iced Green Tea (along with a mango shake) at an Iftar (break fast) party this past Ramadan. It was a hit and gone in no time. Since then, I’ve made this countless times and it is always a something that gets rave reviews and requests for the recipe. It is quick to throw together, and is a great alternative to serving soda at gatherings!

Blueberry Iced Green Tea

Yield: 8 Cups

Ingredients:

For Blueberry Syrup:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

½ lemon, juiced

For Iced Tea:

8 cups water, divided

4 green tea bags

Ice, to serve

Directions:

Make Blueberry Syrup:

Place blueberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and strain the mixture into a container (discard solids). Mix in lemon juice and set aside to cool.

Make Iced Tea:

Pour 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add ½ cup water and tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.

Stir in remaining 5½ cups water and prepared blueberry syrup. Refrigerate until ready to serve, adding ice as needed.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new and interesting smoothie recipes. I think they’re a great way to get your fill of fruits and veggies, but in a more fun way! Lately I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen with various fruit and veggie combinations, and although we’ve had some fails, we’ve also had lots of hits (more recipes to come your way soon!). This delicious Blackberry and Oat Smoothie is a great recipe I stumbled upon from Joy the Baker. My son loves it so much that he’s officially renamed it Purple Juice 🙂